CPI(M) confident of Bengal gains, avoids comment on Congress going solo

New Delhi: CPI(M) on Friday expressed confidence that it will improve its otherwise dismal electoral performance in West Bengal though it refused to spell out whether the Congress decision to go solo is a setback.

At the same time, it was confident about retaining Kerala for the third consecutive term. Party leadership is also in talks with the Congress to increase the number of seats it can contest in Assam and Tamil Nadu.

After a Polit Bureau meeting to review election preparations, CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby told reporters that the BJP-led union government was “strangulating” the LDF government in Kerala while the Congress-led UDF is mobilising huge money and rallying various kinds of sectarian forces to defeat them.

In Bengal, he said they are sure about improving the CPI(M) tally. He said they would be expanding the Left Front with CPI(ML)L and three-four other Leftist groups becoming part of the electoral alliance.

Asked about Congress decision not to enter into an electoral understanding with the Left Front, he said for the parties to come together, there should be some willingness from both the sides.

“There could have been discussions, there could have been considerations. Now, I don’t want to pass a comment whether it is good riddance or this is not something positive. Elections will prove that, people will speak about that,” he said.

On West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegation that Kerala was renamed Keralam because of an understanding between CPI(M) and BJP, he shot back saying she was a Cabinet minister in a BJP government and she may be thinking that CPI(M) is like her but it is not.

“Our comrades in Kerala are fighting the BJP and the RSS and working to prevent their entry into mainstream politics,” he said.

Asked whether Pinarayi Vijayan would be Chief Ministerial candidate this time, he said the current Kerala Chief Minister will lead the campaign but a decision on who will lead the government will be taken after elections.

Baby also indicated that CPI(M) gave relaxation to its leaders on conditions – like not allowing one person to contest more than twice – set for contesting elections.

He said the CPI(M) candidate list will be a mix of youth and seasoned leaders. He also said there will be an adequate number of women and those from the marginalised sections in the list.